This invention relates generally to skid steer loaders, and, more particularly, to a mechanism for moving the operator's seat to a non-interfering position so that access to the operative components located below the seat can be facilitated.
Skid steer loaders are industrial equipment having longitudinally spaced pairs of wheels fixed to the frame or chassis of the loader to permit a driving rotation thereof. Each of the wheels are driven, usually by hydraulic motors powered from an engine supported by the frame of the loader. Steering of the skid steer loader is accomplished by powering the rotation of the wheels on opposing sides of the frame of the loader at differential speeds.
Typically, the hydraulic motors and associated linkages are located beneath the seat of the skid steer loader. To service the apparatus beneath the seat, it is necessary to remove the seat from the loader, which is usually accomplished by unbolting the seat from the frame and physically relocating the seat out of the relatively small operator's cab area in which the seat is normally located. The removal of the bolts fastening the seat to the loader frame, and the subsequent re-insertion of the bolts to properly replace the seat, requires a significant amount of time, particularly in comparison to the normal time required for minor servicing of these components.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a means for quickly removing the operator's seat from the frame of a skid steer loader, and for then re-mounting the seat back to the frame, to facilitate the servicing of drive components located beneath the seat.